Paralegals and Legal Assistants Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for paralegals and legal assistants in the U.S. is $62,890 ($30.24 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $62,890
- Mean annual wage
- $69,700
- Median hourly wage
- $30.24
- Employment
- 392,880
392,880 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,740 | $21.51 |
| 25th percentile | $50,340 | $24.20 |
| Median (50th) | $62,890 | $30.24 |
| 75th percentile | $80,080 | $38.50 |
| 90th percentile | $101,500 | $48.80 |
Highest-paying states for paralegals and legal assistants
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $89,750 | 6,400 |
| Washington | $79,400 | 9,460 |
| Colorado | $78,190 | 5,620 |
| Massachusetts | $77,640 | 7,800 |
| California | $77,390 | 47,130 |
| Minnesota | $75,570 | 7,400 |
| New Jersey | $71,500 | 12,010 |
| Alaska | $68,700 | 570 |
| New York | $68,410 | 34,220 |
| Vermont | $67,160 | 660 |
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $46,180 median annual wage
- Alabama: $47,260 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $47,420 median annual wage
- Wyoming: $49,490 median annual wage
- Idaho: $49,690 median annual wage
Related occupations
- Lawyers$159,670
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.